Sleet and ice conceal the asphalt
Staining my pale pink ballet flats an ugly charcoal grey.
Girls, cradled by the arms of youth, scuffle by
Feet enclosed in grubby sheepskin boots
Toned thighs raw, red, cold.
Sleet and ice cover the frozen grass
Littering the indigo hem of my Seven jeans.
Women, vulnerable to the threat of time, totter by
Their cable knit leggings tucked tight
into tall saddle colored leather
Arches fallen, tired, worn.
Elderly ladies accepting of their etched faces walk by
Their sturdy, purposeful gait anchored in a warm, dry rubber boot.
Cold, murky slush splashes beneath the soles of these spirited souls
Dry toes show up as wide coral smiles, teeth stained by coffee, cigarettes, life.
Elderly ladies keep splashing, smiling knowingly
Their thighs, warm, their arches, just fine.